Between Ninian Bay and Cape Melville the coast is high and rocky, but appeared to be fronted by a reef, which in some places extends for a mile and a half from the shore; in this interval there are two or three sandy beaches, but I doubt the practicability of landing upon them in a boat. The summit and sides of the hills that form the promontory, of which Cape Melville is the extreme, are of most remarkable appearance, being covered with heaps of rounded stones of very large size (volume 1.)
CAPE MELVILLE, sloping off into the sea to the north, terminates this remarkable promontory in latitude 14 degrees 9 minutes 30 seconds, and longitude 144 degrees 24 minutes 50 seconds: the coast trends round it to the South-South-West and South-West, and forms Bathurst Bay, which is nine miles and a half deep, and thirteen wide, the western side being formed by Flinders' Group. A reef extends for more than two miles off Cape Melville in a North West by North direction, on which some rounded stones, similar to those upon the land, are heaped up above the sea: there is also one of these heaps at the extremity of the reef, outside, and within a quarter of a mile of which we had fourteen fathoms water: there are two other similar heaps within the outer pile, and between them there are possibly clear passages, but they should not be attempted without great caution. It was remarked that the breeze always freshened on passing round this cape.
PIPON ISLANDS, two small islets, of which the easternmost is the largest, are in latitude 14 degrees 6 minutes 40 seconds, longitude 144 degrees 26 minutes 5 seconds; they are surrounded by a reef, lying two miles and a half from the cape; between them and the reef that extends from the cape, there is a safe and deep passage of more than a mile wide.
The south-east side of Bathurst Bay is shoal. At the bottom are two openings, with some projecting land between them, at the extremity of which there is a peak; these openings are doubtless rivulets of considerable size, and take their rise from the high land at the back of Cape Bowen.
FLINDERS' GROUP forms the west head of Bathurst Bay; they are high and rocky, and consist of four islands, two of which are three miles long. The peak of the largest island, in latitude 14 degrees 11 minutes 5 seconds, and longitude 144 degrees 12 minutes 5 seconds, is visible from a distance of twelve or thirteen leagues; and the higher parts of the islands may be seen generally at seven or eight leagues.
On the eastern side of the northernmost island there is a bay fronted by a coral reef, but it is too exposed to the prevailing winds to be safe. It is here that the Frederick (merchant ship) was wrecked in 1818.
CAPE FLINDERS, in latitude 14 degrees 8 minutes, longitude 144 degrees 10 minutes 20 seconds, is the north extremity of the island; it may be passed close to with twelve fathoms: the best anchorage is under the flat-topped hill, at a quarter of a mile from the shore, in ten fathoms mud. The variation is 5 degrees 20 minutes East. It is high water at full and change at a quarter past nine.
In the offing is a low wooded island of more than a mile in diameter.
CLACK'S ISLAND is a high rock, situated at the south-east end of reef b, in latitude 14 degrees 4 minutes 45 seconds, and longitude 144 degrees 11 minutes 45 seconds, and, being a bare black rock, with no apparent vegetation, is a conspicuous object: there is another rock on its north-east end. (See above.) The reef is of circular shape, and three miles in diameter.
The shoal marked a was not seen by us. H.M. sloop Satellite struck upon it in June, 1822, on her passage to India. The following marks for it were obligingly communicated to me by Captain M.J. Currie, of H.M. sloop Satellite, who sent a boat to examine it upon her second voyage the following year: